Page 7 of The Forever Game

I study her from the edge of the room before inching toward the highchairs. “Hey, Cherry Girl.”

“Welcome home,” she mutters, refusing to look at me.

I slide Billy into his chair, then strap Troy into his, pulling the tray close so he can’t wriggle free. Caroline has already prepared their afternoon snack, and I start dropping blueberries and Cheerios onto their trays. I also give Billy some apple slices. Two sippy cups later and I’m hands-free to hug my wife. I step up behind her frenzied salad making and go to wrap my arms around her.

“Oh no you don’t.” She nudges me off.

“What?” I step back with a surprised laugh.

“You are not touching me right now, Casey Pierce.”

My forehead crinkles. “Why? What’d I do?”

“Every time your horny ass gets home, I can’t resist you, and then this happens!” Her hands flick up in time with her pitching voice, and I duck to avoid getting stabbed in the eye as she pushes me aside to throw away the food scraps.

“What happens?”

“You and your stupid sperm are going to be the death of me!”

“My sperm?”

“Sperm!” Billy yells, raising his little hands in the air.

Caroline closes her eyes and pushes past me again, giving Billy his sippy cup. “Here, put this in your mouth, you cheeky little squirt.” She winks at him and he grins up at her, that adoring smile on his face turning my heart to putty for a second.

But then I cross my arms with another frown. “What’s wrong with my sperm?”

Her blue eyes hit me, her gaze bright and dangerous as she huffs and starts ranting, “They’re thermonuclear! Or something! I mean what the hell, Casey? Do they just burn through the condoms?”

It takes me a second to figure out what she’s telling me, and then my slow-ass brain finally gets it.

“Wait, you’re pregnant?” An instant smile lights my face and can’t even be tamped down by her smoldering glare.

She points her finger at me. “Don’t you dare smile! I can’t have three kids under four. Do you understand me? I can’t do it.” Her voice breaks, and all the rage that was fueling her disappears in an instant, fear washing over her face as her blue eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip starts to tremble. “I can’t do it,” she squeaks again, walking into my embrace and sniffling against my shoulder.

I brush my hand down her curls and hold her close. “Yes, baby, you can. You’re an amazing mom.” I pull back so I can look at her face. Cupping her cheeks, I can’t help smiling again. “We’re gonna have another kid. This is awesome! At this rate, we’ll have our own hockey team. Your dad will love it.”

“No way!” She shoves me back, totally missing my joke—which, I admit, might be slightly bad timing on my part, but come on! I’m gonna be a dad again! Excitement buzzes through me as Caroline’s anger flares again.

“A hockey team?” She bulges her eyes at me. “I am not pushing that many heads out of my vagina!”

“Vagina!” Billy yells, and Troy raises his hand and says, “Ba-bah!”

I crack up laughing, which sets the boys into fits of giggles. Caroline’s expression crumples again, and I can’t decide if she’s on the verge of sobbing or laughing along with us.

Stepping back into her space, I brush my thumb beneath her eyes, softening my voice and hopefully my expression. “I know it’s scary right now, but it’s going to be okay.”

“How?” She blinks, sucking in a shaky breath.

“You’re strong and amazing. I mean it when I say that you’re the best mom. You can do this.Wecan do this.”

She closes her eyes, setting a few tears free.

I brush them off her cheeks as they fall, kissing her forehead, then wrapping her in a hug again. “Just think, baby. It might be a girl.”

She goes stiff against me before leaning back, her lips parting as the glimmer of a smile lights her eyes. I splay my hand over her stomach.

“A little girl with red curls and big blue eyes.”

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